BEREA — Start No. 7 for Shedeur Sanders as the Browns quarterback will fall on the first Sunday of 2026. It’s also could go a long way toward setting a narrative for both him and the team when it comes to the 2026 season.
The problem for both Sanders and the Browns is there’s going to be an eight-month gap between the start against the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2025 season finale and the opening game of the 2026 season. A lot can happen in those eight months.
Truthfully, a lot can happen in the eight days immediately after the game in Cincinnati. Most of that won’t directly involve Sanders at all, including the hot takes that are served up regarding what he has or hasn’t shown to be “The Guy” in 2026.
“No, I can’t think about what other people’s opinion or what they view me as,” Sanders said Dec. 31. “I know the teams that we go against, I know they definitely respect me in the passing game for sure. But I can’t be accountable for somebody else’s decisions.”
Those decisions include who will be coaching Sanders in 2026. The Browns are 4-12 heading into the finale, a one-game improvement on the 3-14 record they posted in 2024, but nothing close to a successful season.
Speculation about Kevin Stefanski’s status as Browns coach beyond the finale has been rampant. There’s a strong expectation a change could be made, although no one from ownership has telegraphed that final decision yet.
Sanders acknowledged a week ago the trust that had developed between the coaching staff, specifically Stefanski, and himself over the last eight months or so. He went from the developmental prospect getting Hungry Dawg reps after practice in the spring to the starting quarterback by the time the snow started to fly.
That path, with the benefit of time, has generated appreciation from Sanders.
Shedeur Sanders talks after Cleveland Browns win vs Steelers
Shedeur Sanders talks to media after the Cleveland Browns defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers, Dec. 28, 2025.
“Yeah, I’d say I’m truly thankful,” Sanders said. “I’m thankful that I was able to come here. I’m thankful that I do have the relationship with all the coaches. I’m thankful that just being evolving from Day 1, evolving from being a hungry dawg to now, it’s exciting and sometimes I think about those days. So I don’t take anything for granted. I think overall the communication with the coaches and everything’s been really good, and I’m just thankful to just be here in general.”
The Browns are 2-4 in Sanders’ six starts. He’s completed 60.34% of his passes for 1,242 yards with seven touchdowns and nine interceptions, along with a 74.0 passer rating, in those starts.
The last two games, against the Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers, Sanders has completed 37 of 52 passes, which is 71.2%. However, he’s also thrown four picks and just two touchdowns.
That’s the back-and-forth that goes into Sanders’ evaluation. Still, on the whole, his teammates have seen reasons to believe.
“He consistently approves each week and every day,” wide receiver Jerry Jeudy said Dec. 31. “He doing a good job of learning the game, learning the offense a lot more. He constantly growing.”
The final chapters for Sanders’ rookie season have yet to be written. That’s coming with the finale against Cincinnati.
So what does it have to look like against the Bengals for Sanders to feel confident going into the offseason?
“I think, continue to build, continue to build on the things that he’s doing really well,” Stefanski said “Like I’ve told you guys, there’s things that you ask him to improve upon each week, and he’s diligent about those things. So it’s just improving and then winning. We talked about that last week. We want to win as a football team, obviously, as quarterbacks, we get judged oftentimes on wins and losses, and it’s important, you know, to finish strong.
“So that’s what he’s going to try and put this team in a position to go win.”
Many of Sanders’ starts have looked similar to a Week 17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. He came out with two solid drives that resulted in the Browns building a 10-0 first-quarter lead.
However, there was a noticeable change after that, as the consistency waned. After making several smart decisions, there were three or four really bad ones, including two that resulted in interceptions and another that almost resulted in a pick six.
That goes back to the trait that any team looks for in the player who becomes the “franchise” quarterback.
“Just stay consistent, taking what they give me,” Sanders said. “Whenever we get off rhythm, get back on rhythm, get back on track. And I think that’s the next part of my game I’m trying to evolve is whenever it’s either we’re stagnant or some adversity comes and being able to get back on track.”
Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ